INDIANAPOLIS—As debates continue to rage over Brandeis University and the National Academy's decisions to sell off works from their collections in violation of accepted museum guidelines, the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) has announced an initiative to make its process of deaccessioning works in accordance with museum ethics more transparent.

On its Web site, the museum has launched a searchable database of works from its encyclopedic collection that have been marked for deaccessioning or have already been sold. The database includes a work's value and in the future will show how the proceeds from its sale were used for new acquisitions.

“In light of the recent economic downturn and the resulting financial strain experienced by museums, the topic of deaccessioning has become a front-burner issue, making institutional transparency more vital than ever,” said museum director and CEO Maxwell Anderson.

According to guidelines drawn up by the Association of Art Museum Directors, artworks may only be deaccessioned from a museum's collection in order to fund the purchase of new ones. Brandeis and the National Academy have been criticized for planning to use funds from sales for operating costs and other purposes.

The IMA has been combing through its collection for possible deaccessions, subject to criteria available on their Web site, since 2007.

The database initiative is one of several at the IMA to "harness technology as a means of promoting museum transparency," according to a statement from the museum. Others include the inclusion of a "dashboard" on its Web site that provides up-to-date information on attendance, fiscal performance, acquisitions, and energy consumption.